Improvement in machines for making chair-bottoms



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Machines for Making Chair-Bottoms. N0.l56,6ll. Patented N0v3,1874.

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Attorneys UNITED STATES JAMES B. WESTWICK, OF GALENA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO R. I. EDWARDS, OF SAME PLAGE.

VIMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR MAKING CHAIR-BOTTOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,611, dated November 3', 1874; application filed i July l1, 1874.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, J AivrEs B. WEsTwTcK, ot' Galena, in the county of Jo Daviess and State of Illinois, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Machines for Making Chair-Bottoms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawing is a representation of a longitudinal section of my chair-bottom machine. Fig. 2 is a side view, and Fig. 3 a plan view, of the same. Fig. 4 is an end view, part sectional, and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views, of the saine.

This invention has relation to machinery for working out the seats of chairs; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the seat-bearing frame and the swinging cutters, of the series of planing-saws arranged in convex form for hollowing out the seat, and of the series of short-tooth saws arranged in concave profile for rounding off the front edge ot' the seat, as hereinafter fully described. It also consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the seat-clamp,

whereby the operation of the lower transverse swinging frame is not interfered with.

In the accompanying drawings, the letterA designates a strong frame constructed of girders and uprights, two of which are extended upward above the table or seat-rest to forni supports B for the upper or vertical swinging frame, which has its journal-bearings thereon. Near the lower ends of the uprights B may be located the power-shaft G, having the external 4 and internal pulleys a a', the former connected by the belt b with the journal-shaft of the `upper swinging frame, and the latter connected, by the belt b', with the upright journal-shaft ot' the lower swinging frame. D D represent the lateral girders or beams of the frame upon which the boards which form the seat-clamp rest. The beam D is provided with a convex guide-edge, c, having the curvature of the path of the cutter of the horizontal swinging frame. On the beams and clamp connection between the clamps is the seat-rest, which receives the blank e to be operated upon. The front board E of the table is iixed iu position, and the rear board E is movable, being designed to slide toward or from its fellow upon the studs e e, suitable guide-slots e e' being provided. A clamp-lever, F, is pivoted to the front of the frame A, and is connected to the slide-clamp E by means of a bar, f, which may be arranged to form a part of the seatrest. The lever F, when the clamps are drawn in contact with the sides of the seat-blank, is designed to be locked by means of the swinging serrated catch g. Below the seat-rest or under the table is located the horizontal transverse swinging frame G, consisting of two horizontal arms, H, and two upright rotating shafts, h h', the former of which is journaled in bearings k k, secured in aiixed position to the girders ot the frame A, while the latter is journaled in bearings at or near the free ends of the arms H. Each of these shafts is provided with a pulley, l, and they are connected by the belt l. The belt b from the power shaft, passes over a cylindrical enlargement or pulley g on the shaft IL. The upper end ofthe shaft h is extended above the plane of the seat-rest, and serves to carry the cutter I, which is composed of a series of circular serrated plates, t', having short teeth beveled downward and inward. These plates are arranged in adjacent layers, forming a compact cutter-head, having the general form of a concave frustum of a cone with its base uppermost. As the teeth t" of these plates work usually across the grain, they are made more numerous and smaller, than the teeth of the cutter for hollowing out the seat, which is now to be described. This cutter K is located up'- ou the central portion ot' a horizontal mandrel, j, which is journaled in ,suitable seats at the lower or free ends ot' the arms of the vertical swinging frame L. It is composed of a series of vertical plates, of larger diameter in the middle and smaller diameter toward each end, giving the cutter-head a convex proiile, whereby it is adapted to hollow out the top of the seat-blank. As the work to be done by these teeth is of splitting or planing character, the teeth are made longer and of lower angle than those of the concave cutter-head I.

It is apparent that by using a series of blades in the manner proposed the profiles of the cutter-heads may be readily changed with out changing the entire head. Further, that when a tooth is broken, its plate can be removed and replaced without the delay or eX- pense Which would be involved in resharpening an entire cutter-head of the same size.

The swinging frame L is composed of the vertical vibrating arms n, and the rotating shafts jj', the former of which carries the cutter K, the latter being journaled on the supports B, and conveying, by means of the belt P and the pulleys P, to the former the rotary motion, which is communicated to its pulley g by the belt b.

It' desired, the seat may be elevated by supporting the seat-bearing upon inclined ways.

To the supports B are attached the pulleys s s the former near the top of the frame and the latter just above the plane of the table. Cords t, attached to the lower end of the swinging frame L, are passed under the pulleys s and over the pulleys s to pendent weights w, which serve to retract this swinging frame after it has been drawn forward across its work. V designates a catch, by means of which the horizontal swinging frame is locked at the end of its path when not in operation. To the end of this frame is secured a handle, B, by means of which it may be drawn over its work. For a similar purpose the upper frame L is also provided with a handle, N.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the seat bed-frame A, having an open space underneath, and the standard-frame B above, of the pendent swing ing frame L carrying the hollow cutter K, and the horizontal swinging frame G carrying the edge-cutter, as specified.

In testimony that I claim the abo've I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. l

JAMES B. WESTWIGK. Vitnesses:

` WmLIAM JORDAN,

WILLIAM SPENsLEY. 

